Today was Frank’s Birthday! 

(Really, last Friday, but we are still catching up from the fun weekend . . . .)

Frank chose to take the water taxi, called the Batobus, down the Seine.  The Batobus is hop-on / hop-off and makes stops all along the touristy spots on the river.  We have seen it from our window. 

It was a super windy day (surely a gale) and POURING rain.  But we are hearty sailors, so we went anyway. 

By the time we got to our local stop (right under our favorite Tower), we were soaked and our umbrellas had flipped inside out numerous times.  And the Batobus was nowhere in sight. 

Instead, we took refuge in a café on a barge tied to the quai with a view of Tour Eiffel on one side and the boat traffic on the other. 

It was all windows and super cozy– we could even see the seagulls walking on the roof.  

Since it was Frank’s birthday, we ordered a bottle of Cote du Rhone and settled in for a leisurely lunch. 

With a little wine for courage – and the rain now just a drizzle – we hopped onto the next passing Batobus that arrived just as we were finishing up. 

Off we sailed down to St. Germain. Some scenes along the way . . . .

St. Germain is a lively and historic neighborhood and the haunt of many literary figures, such as Hemingway.  We loved wandering through the historic streets.   

We located our destination – the iconic Café de Flore – for a delicious dessert. 

This café opened in 1887 and has been the scene of many celebrity sightings.  It also played a part in the French Resistance during WW2.  I love novels of the French Resistance and had read about this café and the many rendezvous that were there with secret notes passed.  It was exactly as I had pictured from my books.  So cool.

The rain was starting up again, so being the wise travelers we are, we decided to order an UBER home and leave the rest of our Batobus sightseeing for another day.  Happy Birthday Frank!

Side Note: We have started re-watching “Emily in Paris” while we are here – and she just went to Café de Flore!